Well, that was a rough day at the office. Kai Trump, the 18-year-old granddaughter of former President Donald Trump, made her much-anticipated LPGA Tour debut at The Annika tournament, and let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a fairytale start. The high school senior, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, looked every bit the amateur playing against the world’s best, carding a brutal 13-over 83.
A Tough Introduction To the Pros For Trump
Playing in the breezy Florida conditions at Pelican Golf Club, the nerves were apparent from the get-go. It was a bogey train right out of the station—one on the first, another on the second, and so on for the first four holes. When the dust settled, her scorecard was a sea of squares and double squares: nine bogeys, two double bogeys, and not a single birdie to be found. Ouch. That landed her squarely in last place, a full four shots behind the next closest competitor and a whopping 19 strokes off the lead.
To her credit, Trump faced the music afterward. “I was definitely more nervous than I expected,” she said, which is about as relatable as it gets. She tried to find the silver linings, noting she “hit a lot of good shots just to the wrong spots.” That’s a feeling every weekend hacker knows all too well. One minute you flush an iron shot that feels pure, the next you’re watching it sail directly into a greenside bunker. Golf is a cruel, cruel game.
The Trump Name and the Game Of Golf
Let’s be honest, the “Trump” name carries a certain weight, and it’s why we’re even talking about the last-place finisher. The LPGA justified the sponsor exemption by pointing to her massive social media following (over six million, by the way), hoping her presence would “introduce golf to new audiences.” It certainly got people talking, though maybe not about the stellar play they’d hoped for.
Kai, who is committed to the University of Miami, tried to keep her head up. “I thought I did pretty good for just first time, being the youngest player in the field. I had a great time out there,” she said. It’s the kind of grit you need in this sport.
After a round like that, you either laugh or you cry, and it seems like she’s choosing to learn from it. Now she knows what it’s like to swim with the sharks. Day one was a tough lesson, but for Kai Trump, the only way to go from here is up.
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